


We Got Your Backbone

by LazyRainDancer



Series: The Glitch Series [2]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Underswap, F/M, Gen, Merry Gyftmas!!, No Smut, Reader Is Not Chara, Reader Is Not Frisk, Reader-Insert, Thank you for being such an awesome betareader!, This has the same setting as my fic The Glitch, if you want to know how the reader met the brothers, only fluff here, reader is female, this is a Christmas present for Tyrant Tortoise, this isn't necessarily canon though, this would probably take place a while after she meets them in The Glitch, you can find out from my other fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-25
Updated: 2017-12-25
Packaged: 2019-02-14 00:24:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,476
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12995778
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LazyRainDancer/pseuds/LazyRainDancer
Summary: Papyrus is bad about keeping things to himself. In order to avoid worrying his brother, he always says he's alright even if it's completely untrue. He's been looking really tired lately which worries you. If he's suffering from nightmares, he's not telling. While you're sleeping over one night, you find him awake on the couch in the middle of the night. You decide enough is enough. You're not gonna let him continue to suffer like this on his own. Of course, neither is Sans.





	We Got Your Backbone

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Tyrant_Tortoise](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tyrant_Tortoise/gifts).



> This is a Christmas present for Tyrant Tortoise. Thank you for always helping me! I'm lucky to have such an awesome beta-reader!! ^_^ Merry Gyftmas!! :)
> 
> This takes place during the storyline of my other fic, The Glitch. Although it's not necessarily canon, it would happen a good while after the Reader meets the Underswap brothers. They have the nicknames Blueberry and Stretch, but they are referred to by their regular names when in their world and when there's no other Sanses and Papyri around.

It’s your full bladder that arouses you from your deep slumber. With a groan, you open your eyes and try to clear your sleep-clogged mind. You see Sans cuddled up close to you with an arm around your waist. You have to hold back the urge to coo at his adorable sleeping face.

You had decided to sleep over at the Underswap house since you had needed a break from everything. Sans, being the total sweetheart he is, offered to share his bed with you, so you wouldn’t have to sleep on the couch.

Remembering what woke you up in the first place, you slowly extricate yourself from his firm hold. Fortunately, the small skeleton is a deep sleeper, so you manage to leave the bed without waking him. 

You give him a quick peck to the forehead before quietly heading for the bedroom door. Once you’re in the hallway, it only takes you a few seconds to find the bathroom.

When you leave the bathroom, you feel a slight chill that makes you shiver. It doesn’t come as a surprise to you considering what you’re wearing. 

The brothers have this sort of tradition whenever you sleep over. Sans always gives you a pair of his shorts to sleep in while Stretch offers one of his tank tops. 

That is why you’re currently wearing a black tank top with tiny blue shorts despite the cold weather outside. You can’t really complain, however, since this is the type of outfit you prefer to sleep in. You hate wearing restricting clothes to bed. 

Before you make it back to Sans’ room, you hear a noise coming from downstairs that makes you freeze. When you strain your ears, you can faintly hear what sounds like the TV in the living room.

_That’s strange. I’m pretty sure that was turned off before we went to bed._

Curious, you decide to investigate by walking toward the railing that overlooks the living room. A thought makes you pause. _Wait a minute. Should I really be heading over there so casually? What if there’s like a burglar or something? Although, that doesn’t explain why the TV is turned on. Why would any good thief turn on a TV before stealing it? Are they just wanting to sneak in to watch their favorite show? What the hell is even on at this time at night? Napstaton reruns? Maybe they’re a super dedicated fan like Sans, and they don’t normally have access to a TV._  


Shaking your head to dispel your wild thoughts, you silently creep toward the railing and try to peer over it without being seen. As you take in the view of the living room, you sigh in relief when you recognize the person on the couch.

_Oh good. It’s not a burglar. It’s just a skeleton who’s up way past his bedtime._

Now that you know the coast is clear, you walk down the stairs not bothering to be stealthy. You have no intention to sneak up on him.That would probably just end badly for you if you tried, considering how he can be when he doesn’t get enough sleep. 

Once you’re in the living room, you plop down beside Papyrus who is sitting slouched in the middle of the couch. He gives you a little grin. “hey, hun, what brings you here at this time of night?”

You lean back against the couch and make yourself comfortable. “Just making sure no burglars are trying to steal your TV. How else will Sans watch Napstaton?”

Papyrus chuckles in amusement. “sorry to worry ya, hun. it’s just me. no tv stealing going on here. you _bed_ -ter go back upstairs before my bro notices you’re gone. he’ll be disappointed when he finds you’re not there when he wakes up.”

Normally, you’d agree and do as he says, but his tired expression makes you pause. Papyrus looks a lot paler than he did before you went to bed, and his grin seems strained like he’s forcing it. Come to think of it, he’s been pretty lethargic all day, more so than usual. Has he been having trouble sleeping lately?

Instead of complying, you scooch closer and lean your head against his shoulder. Thankfully, he’s still wearing his trademark orange hoodie, so this position isn’t the least bit uncomfortable. “Sans would understand. I think he would much rather be awake helping his brother who’s obviously having trouble with nightmares again. Wanna talk about it?”

Papyrus sighs as he leans further into the couch. “nothin’ to talk about, honey. just the same nightmare as always. i can never go back to sleep after one of those, so i don’t even bother now. i’ll be fine. no need to worry you or sans over it.”

You roll your eyes. Yeah, that totally makes you feel better. Honestly, he should care more about himself. It’s sweet that he didn’t want to disturb your or his brother’s rest, but he should ask for help more. He doesn’t have to do everything on his own anymore. 

As if reading your thoughts, the skeleton moves to gently knock his skull against yours. His smooth as honey voice always makes your stomach do flips when he speaks so close to your ear. “i really am okay, hun. thanks for worryin’ about me.”

Not willing to surrender so easily, you move to bury your face in his chest as you wrap your arms around him in a hug. “I don’t buy that. No matter how you try to convince me, there’s no way you’re alright when you look like you’ll pass out at any minute. Did you get any sleep? Any at all?”

He returns the embrace and runs one of his hands through your hair. “not really. it hit me pretty quickly tonight.”

With a huff, you squeeze him tightly. “You _bonehead_ , you could’ve woken us up! It wouldn’t have bothered us. Sans will be more upset to find out you didn’t wake him up when you obviously needed somebody.”

Papyrus continues to card his fingers through your hair in a soothing manner. “but, you two were just lookin’ way too cute to wake up. i ended up taking a photo of the two of you. i think i’m gonna make it my new screensaver for my phone. wanna see? it’s _picture perfect_.”

You groan as you bury your face further into his hoodie to hide your embarrassment. “Nooo. I can’t believe you took a picture! That’s so embarrassing!”

He chuckles. “maybe for you, but i definitely enjoyed it.”

For a while, the two of you stay in that position. It’s so comfortable that you don’t want to move an inch. When the hand on your head comes to a sudden halt, you look at him curiously. There’s a smirk on his face that makes you nervous. “so, you’re not gonna go to bed no matter what i say?”

While you’re wary of that expression, you refuse to back down. “Yep. I’m not going anywhere.”

“then, let’s change this up a little bit.”

You squeak in surprise when you feel yourself abruptly lifted in the air. Instead of sitting on the couch hugging Papyrus, you’re now hovering in the air above it. There’s a blue glow around your body that matches the color of magic strobing from his right eye. “Papyrus!”

He grins at your annoyed look. “hold on, hun. i’m just gonna make us more comfortable.”

It only takes him a few seconds to stretch out across the couch. After that, the skeleton then uses his magic to slowly bring you back down on top of him. His arms quickly wrap around you and come to rest on the small of your back. 

With a huff, you cross your arms on his chest and rest your chin there. “Was that really necessary? I could’ve just moved off the couch, so you could lie down. You didn’t have to use your gravity magic to pick me up.”

Papyrus shrugs his shoulders as he grins. “yeah, but this way i got to see your cute surprised face. it’s a great _pick-me-up_.”

You snort in amusement. “Not bad. That was pretty _humerus_.”

His grin grows as he gives your waist a warm squeeze. “thanks, honey. that’s _sweet_ of you to say.”

You feel your face grow hot when he moves his face closer. That grin of his is looking a little too smug for your taste. “gotta say, hun, your face is even more _bee_ -witching up close. you don’t mind if i _comb_ a little closer do you?”

Despite your best efforts, you’re unable to stop the giggles from passing your lips. The taller skeleton leans back, appearing very satisfied. You bury your face in his hoodie in an attempt to muffle your laughter. You feel his chest vibrate as he snickers softly. 

After a few minutes, your laughter finally begins to ebb. When it does, you notice that his fingers are in your hair again, gently moving back and forth. You sigh happily at his ministrations. You love when people play with your hair. It feels so relaxing. The longer someone does it, the sleepier you get. 

Papyrus chuckles at your reaction. “you’re like a cat, honey. a really cute cat.”

You wrap your arms around his chest and hug him. With a sleepy grin, you prop your chin on his chest. “Does that mean you think I’m _purr_ -fect?”

His face softens considerably as a tender smile forms. “i don’t think there are any girls as perfect as you, hun.”

A dark blush grows across your cheeks at the genuine compliment. You immediately snuggle into his chest in order to hide your embarrassment. You aren’t successful judging by how much his chest is shaking from laughing. The fact that he’s hugging you tighter and nuzzling your hair is not helping matters. You could probably cook eggs on your face, considering how hot it feels now.

The skeleton decides to have mercy on you and not tease you further. Instead, he remains silent and goes back to messing with your hair. Apparently, both skeletons seem to have a hair fixation. While Blue likes to play with it and put it up in different styles, Papyrus always just runs his fingers through it evidently liking the texture. Maybe they’re like that because they don’t have any hair of their own?

For a while, the two of you remain like that, just quietly enjoying each other’s presence. Eventually, that silence is broken by an unexpected third party. 

“I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU TWO! I WAS WONDERING WHERE Y/N HAD DISAPPEARED TO WHILE I WAS ASLEEP. WHEN I GO TO INVESTIGATE, I FIND YOU BOTH HAVING A CUDDLEFEST WITHOUT ME! 

Papyrus grins at his brother while you try to smother your giggles into his hoodie. “sorry, bro. you know you’re always welcome to join. you looked _bone tired_ before you went to bed, so we didn’t want to disturb your sleep.”

Sans is obviously too tired for puns since he just weakly groans in his hands. Once the two of you realize you’re taking up the whole couch, you both sit up so that there’s room for the younger skeleton. Sans immediately moves to sit on the other side of Papyrus. He sleepily clings to his older brother.

“Y/N, WHY IS PAPY UP THIS LATE? SURELY, IT’S NOT BECAUSE OF A NIGHTMARE SINCE MY BROTHER KNOWS BETTER THAN TO KEEP EVERYTHING TO HIMSELF WHEN HE HAS AN AMAZING BROTHER HE CAN COME TO FOR COMFORT.”

You watch Papyrus wince at his brother’s words. “Hate to say it, Sans, but that’s exactly what happened.”

The taller skeleton gives you a betrayed look which you ignore in favor of watching Sans’ reaction. Sans looks up at his brother and gives Papyrus his patented disappointed face. The younger brother hasn’t even said anything yet, and Papyrus already appears remorseful. “PAPY, I THOUGHT WE AGREED TO COME TO EACH OTHER IF WE WERE HAVING TROUBLES! YOU CAN’T KEEP DOING THIS TO YOURSELF! YOU ALWAYS WANT ME TO RELY ON YOU, BUT I WANT YOU TO DO THE SAME! AM I THAT UNRELIABLE?”

Papyrus immediately pulls his brother closer. “stars no, sans. that’s not it at all. i just hate bothering you with this. i didn’t want to wake you up over a stupid nightmare. i didn’t want you to worry.”

His brother pouts in apparent disapproval. “YOU DO REALIZE I WORRY MORE WHEN YOU DON’T SAY ANYTHING, RIGHT? I’D RATHER BE TOLD WHAT’S BOTHERING YOU INSTEAD OF HAVING TO GUESS. I WANT YOU TO DEPEND ON ME, PAPY, LIKE I DEPEND ON YOU. I DON’T WANT YOU TO SUFFER ON YOUR OWN!”

The older skeleton sighs once he realizes there’s no way he’s going to win this battle. “i’m sorry, sans. i’ll do better next time.”

“YOU BETTER!”

You grin mischievously as a brilliant idea comes to mind. “Hey, Sans? You have a tight grip on your brother, right?”

Sans nods and hugs his brother tighter as if to prove his claim. Papyrus is watching you suspiciously, but you quickly move before he can act.

Without hesitation, you move your hands to the taller skeleton’s sides and start rapidly moving your fingers across his rib cage.

The response is instantaneous as a snort escapes Papyrus’ mouth before he can even think to stop it. Grinning broadly, you continue your tickle attack despite the older brother’s protests. Sans immediately lends his assistance by preventing his brother from escaping. 

“nyeheheheh! h-honey s-stop! n-no m-more!”

His pleading falls on deaf ears as the onslaught continues. You even take turns with Sans, so he can do some tickle torturing of his own while you hold Papyrus down. Sans’ laughter soon joins his brother’s. “MWEH HEH HEH!”

When you first met him, you would have never guessed the older skeleton was so ticklish. Between the two brothers, Sans would’ve been your pick if you had to choose one of them. You found out one day from the shorter skeleton that while Sans is ticklish he’s nowhere near as bad as Papyrus. The older brother will literally teleport to the other side of the room if you surprise attack his sides. If he feels threatened enough, he’ll even teleport to another room or leave the house. The only sure fire way to succeed in tickling Papyrus is to ask Sans for help. Papyrus is no match for his brother when Sans is determined. 

One of the things you love the most about tickling the taller skeleton is hearing him do the trademark Papyrus laugh. He only does it when embarrassed or when he’s laughing really hard. It’s so freakin’ adorable. You’d tickle him more often if he wasn’t so hard to catch. That’s why you’re not allowed to sleep in his room. The older skeleton doesn’t trust you enough to leave his sides unguarded after your many failed attempts to tickle him. 

After a while, you and Sans decide the taller skeleton has been punished enough, so you both relent on the tickle torture. Fortunately, it takes awhile for the laughter to really stop once Papyrus gets going, so you can still listen to him for a while longer.

“nyeheheh. you guys are awful. i can’t believe my own bro would betray me like this.”

Sans snuggles into his brother’s chest, looking as innocent as can be. “BETRAYAL? I DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT, PAPY. Y/N AND I SIMPLY WANTED TO MAKE YOU LAUGH. YOU LOOKED LIKE YOU COULD USE IT.”

Nodding, you follow the shorter skeleton’s example and embrace the older brother. “That’s right, and it worked! You look so much happier now. We did a great job, Sans.”

“MWEH HEH HEH!”

The frown on Papyrus’ face only lasts for a few seconds before it melts into a warm smile. He pulls the two of you closer and hugs you both tightly. “thanks. i do feel better. you’re the coolest, bro. you too, hun.”

You try to smother a yawn as you give the tall skeleton a warm squeeze. Judging by his chuckle, Papyrus must have heard you. “sounds like you could use some more sleep, honey. sans, you still awake?”

Sans nods sleepily. “I AM AWAKE. I DO NOT WISH TO LEAVE YOU ALONE, PAPY, SO THE MAGNIFICENT SANS WILL KEEP YOU COMPANY FOR THE REST OF THE NIGHT. Y/N, YOU MAY USE MY BED IF YOU’D LIKE.”

You shake your head as you tiredly rub your eyes. “No, I’m good here. Papyrus is comfy. I don’t wanna move.”

“I AGREE THAT MY BROTHER CAN BE A VERY COMFORTABLE PILLOW. IT LOOKS LIKE WE’LL BOTH BE JOINING YOU TONIGHT, PAPY.”

Papyrus shakes his head as he chuckles. “lucky me. so, we’re stayin’ on the couch then? we don’t have any beds big enough for three people.”

A burst of energy hits you like a freight train as you jolt up with a bright grin. “Pillow fort!”

At your words, Sans abruptly sits up with bright starry eyes. “PILLOW FORT!”

Before Papyrus can even react, the two of you are off gathering the necessary supplies. It doesn’t take you and Sans long to find all the pillows and blankets you’ll both need to make your fortress. You also brought along some sheets to spread across the floor to make it more comfortable to sleep on.

The taller skeleton slowly rises from his seat in order to get out of the way as you and Sans start rearranging the furniture. He just leans against the wall, watching in amusement as you and his brother get to work.

About ten minutes later, a pillow fort fit for a king is ready to be enjoyed. Well, any king besides Asgore since he definitely wouldn’t be able to fit in there. 

The two of you examine your handiwork with pride as Papyrus strides over and rubs you both on the head. “good job. looks great, you two.”

Sans grins proudly. “MWEH HEH HEH! OF COURSE! ANYTHING THE MAGNIFICENT SANS MAKES IS AMAZING! WITH Y/N HELPING ME, WE WERE SURE TO CREATE A PILLOW FORT THAT WOULD OUTSHINE ANY OTHER!”

You raise your hand to cover another yawn. “Yep. We’re the coolest, Sans. Now it's time to put this fort to good use.”

“i’m right behind ya, honey.”

It doesn’t take the three of you long to make yourselves comfortable in the pillow fort. You had tried to get Papyrus to sleep in the middle since the whole point of this was to comfort him, but he was determined to have you there instead. “it’s fine, hun. with my long arms, it won’t be too much of a _stretch_ to reach my bro if i need to.”

Sans groans into his pillow as you move to join him on the floor. As soon as you’re beside him, the shorter skeleton repositions himself so that he’s facing you with an arm around your waist and his face buried in your chest. If it was any other guy, you wouldn’t allow this kind of contact, but since you trust Sans, you know he won’t try anything. He has no alternative motives besides cuddling.

After you’re situated under the covers on the floor, Papyrus soon joins you and spoons you from behind, wrapping an arm around your waist like his brother. He nuzzles his face into your hair as he sighs happily. “night, bro. night, hun.”

“GOOD NIGHT, PAPY. GOOD NIGHT, Y/N.”

You pull Sans closer to you as you lean back into Papyrus’ embrace. “Good night, you two. Sweet dreams.”

Your eyelids grow heavy as the warmth of the two bodies beside you completely encompasses you. You feel yourself begin to slowly unwind as your body relaxes in their cozy embrace. As you rest against Papyrus’ chest, you hear the humming of his magic right by your ear which eventually lulls you into a deep slumber. 

When you wake the next morning, you find that you’re now facing Papyrus while Sans is the one hugging you from behind. Thankfully, the taller skeleton is still fast asleep. He looks a lot better than he did when you found him on the couch last night. 

With a smile, you reach up to kiss him on the cheekbone before moving back to snuggle into his chest. You give him a warm squeeze as you close your eyes. Hopefully, you’ll be able to get a few more hours of sleep before Sans wakes up and decides it’s time for everyone to start their day.

_Don’t worry, Papyrus. We won’t let those nightmares beat you. We’ll always be there for you no matter what._

Your smile grows when you feel his arms tighten around you as if responding to your thoughts. Yes, there’s no place you’d rather be.

**Author's Note:**

> I've seen a lot of people make the younger brothers the really ticklish ones, but I have this headcanon that UT Sans and US Papyrus are extremely ticklish. Like, willing-to-teleport-across-the-room-to-escape-you ticklish. It's just such a fun idea to me, so I can't help but love it XD
> 
> Sorry this wasn't a very long oneshot, Ty. I wanted it to be longer, but I couldn't figure out what else to put lol I hope you'll still be able to enjoy this meager offering. ^^
> 
> Merry Christmas, y’all! XD


End file.
